Lu Ang lay on the wooden floor of the second-floor corridor, gasping in great heaving breaths, every inch of him soaking wet — and beyond the rainwater, cold sweat was pouring from him unceasingly.

His right leg bore several clean, through-and-through puncture wounds, blood gushing steadily from each.

The speed of blood loss was draining the color from his face to a grey, ashen pallor. Even the beard he always wore with such energy seemed to have suddenly wilted.

Yan Qingwen clenched his jaw and dropped to his knees on the floor without a word. He ripped the fabric open at the wound site, then cleanly tore a long strip of white cloth from his own clothes and bound it tightly around the upper thigh where the blood vessels were most concentrated, to stop Lu Ang’s bleeding.

Shen Mo pressed his hand down. “The wound surface is too large — you need to use a tool on him, fast.”

Yan Qingwen’s expression was tense. “We’re out. The last bandage was already used on Li Li.”

Shen Mo frowned, fished a piece of mud from inside his clothing, kneaded it like putty into a wide, flat strip, and pressed it over Lu Ang’s wound.

The dark mud turned grey almost instantly.

Shen Mo withdrew his hand. The mud snapped back to its original shape and shrank, reverting to its former form.

And the wound on Lu Ang’s leg had completely healed.

Both shock and joy surged through Yan Qingwen. “A tool?!”

Shen Mo’s face showed not the slightest ease. He gave a faint nod and said, “It works fast, but it can only treat surface flesh wounds. The crushed bone will have to be set and then heal on its own over time.”

“Thank you…” Lu Ang said in his rough voice. “We’ve been through two labyrinths — the body’s natural healing ability… is… decent… Give me a hand up…”

“Didn’t you just say your bones are crushed too!” Cheng Weicai said urgently. “No helping him up — let’s find a bed board to carry him on!”

They pried off a bed board and several people lifted Lu Ang onto it.

Tan Xiao asked, “Where are we carrying him?”

A thin layer of water had already seeped across the second-floor planks — wet underfoot.

“The attic,” Yan Qingwen said.

The house had two and a half floors in total. The attic took up only the half-floor, and like the storage room was packed with all kinds of miscellany — and doll figures.

Ten people crammed into the cramped space, and it immediately felt stifling.

With the limited room, Bai Youwei’s wheelchair couldn’t be brought up — she had to lean against the wall and sit on the floor. Except for Pan Xiaoxin, no one could stand upright.

Everyone found a spot to settle.

Outside, rain hammered down in a relentless torrent, pounding on the roof; the entire attic resonated with the roar of it.

The mood was suffocating.

Li Li had already woken up. He leaned against the wall without speaking.

Lu Ang was badly depleted as well.

Shen Mo swept a glance around the room and said evenly, “There’s still time. Let’s think again — what else could be the treasure?”

No one spoke.

Yan Qingwen’s side had now suffered two injured, which had taken a serious toll on his state of mind.

Tan Xiao and Su Man had different personalities, but both were people of action — neither was good at deliberating.

Zhu Shu was a celebrity; she was accustomed to reading the room and watching others, and she wouldn’t dare speak up unless she was fairly sure of herself.

Pan Xiaoxin was even more cautious than Zhu Shu.

Teacher Cheng looked around at everyone and said hesitantly, “The monster looks like a fish — so could the treasure… also have something to do with fish?”

“No way, surely?” Tan Xiao’s eyes went wide. “You don’t mean the fish we already ate?… We’ve already eaten it — it’s not like we can spit it back out, is it?”

The moment he said it, several people felt queasy.

Bai Youwei thought for a moment. “Summer rain is so big, it’s pitch black and I can’t see where the treasure is… If you can’t see it in the dark places, it should be in a bright place. Right now only the second floor and the attic have light — let’s focus our search there.”

As she spoke, she looked toward Cheng Weicai. “Teacher Cheng, can you take some people and do a thorough search of the study? See if there are any books related to the water monster.”

—